Improvement in lubricants



.UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM II. SMITH AND MATTHIAS U. OSBORN, OF IIIGHTOVVN, ALABAMA.

IMPROVEMENT IN LUBRICANTS.

$pecifieation forming part of Letters Patent No. 208,697, dated OctoberR, 1879; application filed September 7, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM H. SMITH and MATTHIAS O. OSBORN, ofHightown, in the county of Gleburne and State of Alabama, have inventeda new and useful Lubricating Compound, which is fully described in thefollowing specification.

This invention relates to that class of lubricators or class ofcompounds used to lubricate the axles of cars, carts, Wagons, buggies,and all other vehicles, as well as heavy machinery; and it consists of acomposition of kaolin, alkali, and lard-oil; or, in lieu of said oil,either kerosene-oil or petroleum-oil, or any kind of oil or greasecommonly used for lubricating purposes, may be substituted in theprocess of manutaoturin g said lubricator.

To prepare our lubricator, we first take a proper quantity of kaolin,and thoroughly purify it by elutriation. The fine floury substance thatfloats ofi' and settles under such purifying process is first dried andthen thoroughly pulverized. This done, it is then mixed with oil andalkali in the following proportions, to wit: kaolin, fifty-five parts;oil, thirty-eight parts; alkali, seven parts-the whole constituting acomposition of one hundred parts, in which the largely-predominatingelement is the purified kaolin.

This mixture, in practical use on iron or brass boxes or axles, fillsthe pores of the metal and prevents it from wearing and heating; andpractical test has demonstrated that it will cool a hot box on apassenger-coach of a railroad without the necessity of stopping orslackening the speed of the train to allow such box to cool off.

The kaolin is indestructible by fire, and being a heavier material thanoil, the alkali is used in the mixture to prevent it from precipitatingor settling to the bottom after a quantity has once been prepared foruse.

This kaolin compound will not decompose by age, because the kaolincannot be burned. It absorbs the oil or grease and alkali, and as thekaolin cannot be ignited, the spontaneous combustion of this lubricatorcannot be produced.

\Ve are aware that in lubricating compounds heretofore employed a smallproportion of kaolin has been utilized as an element thereof; but in oursaid compound the elutriated kaolin constitutes the base or predominantelement.

Having described our improved lubricating compound, what we claim as newand our invention is The lubricating compound composed simply ofelutriated kaolin, alkali, and oil,in about the proportions hereindescribed, for the purpose set forth.

Witness our hand this 24th day of August, A. D. 1878, in matter of ourapplication for a patent on a lubricating compound.

Will. H. SMITH. M'ATTHIAS O. OSBORN.

Witnesses WINsroN (f. Woon, J. M. JoHNsoN.

